October 30, 2024

Isidore String Quartet Makes Princeton Debut

On Wednesday, November 20, Princeton University Concerts (PUC) will launch its Performances Up Close series, Live Music Meditation series, and Do-Re-Meet social events for music lovers with the PUC debut of the Isidore String Quartet.

PUC’s Performances Up Close programs invite the audience to sit alongside the musicians on the stage of Richardson Auditorium for an hour-long program, making for an intimate, informal, and schedule-friendly concert experience. For their 6 and 9 p.m. Performances Up Close, the ensemble will play works by Billy Childs, Henri Dutilleux, and W.A. Mozart.

Alongside these performances on November 20, patrons can also participate in a pre-concert Do-Re-Meet Speed Dating event at 7 p.m. at the historic Maclean House. more

“Mercer County Photography 2024” Awards Announced

“FORGET ME NOT”: The “Mercer County Photography 2024” Juror’s Choice Award went to this work by photographer Cheryl Bomba of Pennington. The show can be seen at Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park through December 1.

Nine Mercer County photographers received a total of 10 awards at the October 13 opening reception for “Mercer County Photography 2024” at Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie. The biennial juried show, on view in the museum through December 1, showcases a diverse array of contemporary work by photographers from throughout Mercer County. Most of the show’s 55 photographs are available for purchase.

Juror Gary Saretzky, a well-known Mercer County photographer, educator, archivist, and exhibitor, selected photographs for Best in Show, Juror’s Choice, and Honorable Mention. Ida Margicin, chief of the Mercer County Division of Culture and Heritage, along with commissioners from the division, selected five Mercer County Purchase Awards. The Purchase Award photographs will become a part of Mercer County permanent art collection and be displayed in county buildings. more

“The Wagon”

The Arts Council of Princeton’s latest Spring Street mural is by Red Sean, the nickname for Trenton-born illustrator Sean Rynkewicz, an avid commuter cyclist who now lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Madison, who helped paint the mural. It is sponsored by Kopp’s Powered by Pedego. (Photo courtesy of Arts Council of Princeton)

“Creative Women’s Showcase” at Contemporary Art Center

“CREATIVE WOMEN’S SHOWCASE”: The exhibition focusing on women artists Is at the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster November 1 through December 8. An opening reception is on Friday, November 1 from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster presents the “Creative Women’s Showcase” exhibition, curated by Ilisa Zollenberg, November 1 through December 8. Exhibiting artists Serena Bocchino (Basking Ridge), Meeta Garg (Basking Ridge), Ivey Kampouris (Bridgewater), Grace Martoccia (Basking Ridge), Seanna Noonan (Basking Ridge), Carolina W. Rivera (Califon), Isabell Villacis (South Bound Brook), and Ilisa Zollenberg (Basking Ridge) will showcase their work in mixed media, pastels, acrylic, photography, and more. more

HCHS Meeting Focuses on 19th-Century Photographers

PHOTOGRAPHY TALK: Flemington photographer Mary Sunderlin captured this image of an airplane accident in Hunterdon County. The photo date is unknown. Photo historian Gary Saretzky will discuss the area’s earliest local photographers at the annual fall meeting of the Hunterdon County Historical Society (HCHS) on November 10 at 2 p.m. in the Flemington Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. (From the collections of the HCHS)

Discover the unique stories of the area’s earliest local photographers at the annual fall meeting of the Hunterdon County Historical Society (HCHS) on Sunday, November 10 at 2 p.m. in the Flemington Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.

In a profusely illustrated slide program, photo historian Gary Saretzky will provide an overview of the way photographs were made in the 19th century and discuss the interesting stories of numerous photographers active from about 1850 in Flemington, Lambertville, Clinton, and Frenchtown. About 90 professional photographers were based in Hunterdon in the 19th century. Among those covered in this talk are Gideon C. Angle, Clinton; Frank Fritz, Lambertville; John and Mary Sunderlin, Flemington; and George W. Freeland, Milford and Frenchtown. more

“In Plain Sight” Photography Exhibit at Gourgaud Gallery

“SEA SELFIE”: This work by William Kanawyer is featured in “In Plain Sight: A Lingering View of the World Around Us,” on view November 3 through November 26 at the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury. An artist’s reception is on Sunday, November 3 from 1-3 p.m.

The Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury will present “In Plain Sight: A Lingering View of the World Around Us,” the first public showing of photography by William Kanawyer, November 3 through November 26. An artist’s reception is on Sunday, November 3 from 1-3 p.m.

Kanawyer is a sixth generation native Californian. He grew up in the high desert of Southern California surrounded by actors, filmmakers, musicians, and graphic artists. While in school studying technical theater, photography, and electronics, his father died, suddenly launching him, out of need, into a career path that mixed the arts and sciences before settling into programming and computer technologies. more

After Seven Years of Planning and Construction, Triumph Restaurant & Brewery is Now Open

OPEN AGAIN: “We are glad to be open again and part of the community once more. Our former customers are happy to see us, and we have many regulars as well as people finding us for the first time. We also get lots of tourists. Princeton is a unique town that attracts visitors from all over the world. Our different beer styles seem to align with many international tastes.” Eric Nutt (left), director of corporate sales, and Ray Villano, general manager of Triumph Restaurant & Brewery, are delighted with their new Palmer Square location, formerly home to the Princeton Post Office.

By Jean Stratton

Adam Rechnitz, owner of Triumph Restaurant & Brewery, Eric Nutt, director of corporate sales, and Ray Villano, general manager, like challenges!

When he opened Triumph Brewing Company in 1995, certified master brewer Rechnitz had to take on the New Jersey Legislature, and spearhead a drive to legalize brewpubs, which were then illegal in New Jersey. He and his partners were persistent, the bill was passed, and Triumph Brewing Company, the first brewpub in the state, opened at 138 Nassau Street in 1995. more

Buoyed by the Return of Junior Standouts Pierce, Lee, PU Men’s Hoops Poised for Another Championship Run

TWO GOOD: Princeton University men’s basketball players Caden Pierce, left, and Xaivian Lee got up for a rebound in a game last winter. The return of junior stars Pierce, the 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year, and Lee, a fellow first-team All-Ivy selection, has the Tigers primed for another big campaign. Princeton, which went 24-5 overall and 12-2 Ivy last winter in winning its third straight league regular season title, opens its 2024-25 campaign by hosting Iona on November 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton University men’s basketball team held its annual media day earlier this month in Jadwin Gym, junior stars Xaivian Lee and Caden Pierce mugged for the cameras when asked to pose together for photos.

The one-two punch could have been broken up as Lee entered the NBA Draft process before deciding to return to Princeton and Pierce was a potential target of the transfer portal.

For Pierce, the 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year, his connection with Lee, a fellow first-team All-Ivy selection, played a key role in him remaining with the Tigers. more

Junior Star St. Rose Poised to Be the Face of Program As PU Women’s Hoops Tips Off 2024-25 Campaign

ROSY OUTLOOK: Princeton University women’s basketball player Madison St. Rose looks to dribble past a foe in action last season. Junior star guard St. Rose figures to be a go-to player this winter for Princeton. The Tigers, who went 25-5 overall and 13-1 Ivy League last winter on the way to a fifth straight Ivy Tournament championship, start their 2024-25 campaign by playing at Duquesne on November 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Madison St. Rose spent her summer in Philadelphia playing basketball against other college players.

It gave the Princeton University women’s basketball junior star more scrimmaging opportunities than she’d had the summer before when she returned to her Old Bridge home, plus more of a chance to build her game for her third year with the Tiger program. more

Seeing 6-Game Winning Streak Against Harvard Snapped, Princeton Football Loses 45-13 to Crimson, Drops to 2-4

MURPHY’S LAW: Princeton University football player Dareion Murphy takes a handoff in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, junior running back Murphy rushed for 21 yards as Princeton fell 45-13 to Harvard. The Tigers, now 2-4 overall and 1-2 Ivy League, host Cornell (2-4 overall, 1-2 Ivy) on November 2. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Bill Alden

In its six contests against archrival Harvard between 2017-23, the Princeton University football team went undefeated, outscoring the Crimson by an average of 31.2-17 in those matchups.

As Princeton headed up to New England for its clash at Harvard on Saturday, Tiger head coach Bob Surace was cautiously optimistic that the winning streak would continue. more

Thyrum’s Corner Kick Leads to Goal by Hamerschlag As PHS Boys’ Soccer Tops Notre Dame 1-0 in CVC Final

TURNING THE CORNER: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Aaron Thyrum goes after the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, junior midfielderThyrum lofted a corner kick that Chase Hamerschlag converted into the winning goal as second-seeded PHS edged fourth-seeded Notre Dame 1-0 in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament final. The Tigers, now 14-2-3, will next be in action when they start play in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 tournament where they will be looking for a second straight state title. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Aaron Thyrum had the game at his feet for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team late in the second half as it was locked in a scoreless tie with Notre Dame in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament final last Saturday afternoon.

With 10 minutes left in regulation and a stiff crosswind howling across Ackerson Field at Hopewell Valley High, junior midfielder Thyrum lined up a corner kick and had a target in mind. more

PHS Girls’ Volleyball Looks Dominant in Winning BCSL As Junior Star Lygas Provides Powerful Play in Front Row

THREE-PEAT: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Naomi Lygas sets the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Thursday, junior star Lygas contributed 10 kills and eight digs to help PHS defeat Princeton Day School 2-0 (25-6, 25-10) in the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL) tournament final. It marked the third straight BCSL title for the Tigers. PHS, who moved to 22-1 with a 3-0 win (25-16, 25-13, 25-10) over Paul VI last Monday, play at Union Catholic on October 30. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Naomi Lygas and her teammates on the Princeton High girls’ volleyball team were determined to show that they weren’t overrated as they hosted the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL) tournament last Thursday.

“I know that coming into today we saw that we were ranked first on NJ.com, so that was a big thing,” said PHS junior star Lygas. “Now we want to prove ourselves to be that.” more

PHS Football Tops WW/P 21-13 in Dramatic Fashion, Clinching First Trip to NJSIAA Playoffs Since 2014

WINNING COMBINATION: Princeton High football quarterback/defensive back Travis Petrone, left, and junior running back/defensive back Carmine Carusone led the way as PHS defeated the West Windsor/Plainsboro football co-op 21-13 last Saturday. Petrone threw a pair of second quarter touchdown passes to Carusone, who also ran for a TD in the fourth quarter. The Tigers improved to 5-4 with the win and clinched their first trip to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) playoffs since 2014. PHS is seeded eighth in the NJSIAA South Jersey, Group 4 Tournament and will play at top-seeded Winslow (9-0) in a quarterfinal contest on November 2. (Photos by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

There was a lot on the line for the Princeton High football team as it hosted the West Windsor/Plainsboro football co-op last Saturday in its regular season finale.

As the Tigers celebrated Senior Day, they needed a win to go over .500 and put themselves in position to earn their first trip to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) playoffs since 2014. more

With Senior Eleches-Lipsitz Back at Full Speed, PHS Girls’ Cross Country Takes 1st at CVC Meet

By Justin Feil

Rica Eleches-Lipsitz was confident that the Princeton High girls’ cross country team would race well at the Colonial Valley Conference Championships on Thursday at Thompson Park.

PHS did its part, and Eleches-Lipsitz nearly equaled their personal record.

“I knew that we would dominate as a team because we’ve done a lot of really good work on that course and just together. I’ve seen us grow a lot,” said Eleches-Lipsitz. “I don’t think I anticipated my individual race being nearly as good as it was. But I’ve always had faith that my team would pull through the way that they did.” more

PHS Girls’ Tennis Takes Second at CVC Tournament As Doubles Teams Lead the Way with a Pair of Wins

UP IN THE AIR: Princeton High girls’ tennis first doubles player Ashna Bushan leaps to make a shot as partner Maya-Alexandra Todorov looks on last Wednesday in the final of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament. The pair of junior Bushan and senior Todorov topped WW/P-North’s Anjali Vemuri and Maahi Patmidi 6-4, 4-6, (10-8) to win the title. The victory helped PHS take second to North in the team standings at the event which was played at the Mercer County Tennis Complex. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Last fall, the pair of Maya-Alexandra Todorov and Ashna Bushan rolled to the title at first doubles for the Princeton High girls’ tennis team at the Mercer County Tournament in what turned out to be the last year of the competition.

With the Mercer County Tournament Association announcing last spring that it was discontinuing the county tournament in favor of a Colonial Valley Conference Tournament, which bars local private schools who are not members of the CVC, the result was the same last week as Todorov and Bushan prevailed at first doubles. more

Hun Field Hockey Falls to Lawrenceville in Prep A Tourney, But England Native Clark Gaining Valuable Experience

STICKING TOGETHER: Members of the Hun School field hockey team celebrate after tallying a goal in a game earlier this season. Last Wednesday, Hun couldn’t get its offense going as the third-seeded Raiders fell 2-0 to sixth-seeded Lawrenceville in the Prep A state quarterfinal round. Hun, which lost 3-0 to Lawrenceville in a regular season contest last Saturday to move to 7-9, hosts the Peddie School on November 2 in its season finale. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Things didn’t go well for the Hun School field hockey team as it hosted rival Lawrenceville last Wednesday in the Prep A state quarterfinal round.

Unable to get into an offensive rhythm, third-seeded Hun fell 2-0 to the sixth-seeded Big Red.

“It wasn’t all that we could give, some days are better than others,” said Hun post-graduate star Sophia Clark. “We have worked hard, we have had a lot of great opportunities. It is just about putting them away really.” more

October 23, 2024

Halloween Spooktacular

Pumpkin painting was among the children’s activities at the annual event on Saturday in the courtyard at the Princeton Shopping Center. Trick-or-treating, live music, a pet costume contest, balloon artists, and more were also featured. Attendees discuss their costumes in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

Election Day Approaches, Voting Has Begun

By Donald Gilpin

Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, is less than two weeks away with high-profile races on the ballot for U.S. president and vice president, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and a heated local battle for three seats on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE).

Early voting starts this Saturday, October 26 and continues through November 3, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at any one of seven Mercer County locations, including the Princeton Municipal Building at 400 Witherspoon Street.

Vote by mail ballots have been mailed to all voters who have requested them, applications continue to be processed, and drop boxes to return those ballots are open throughout the county. Visit the Mercer County clerk’s website at mercercounty.org for locations and further information on the election and ways to vote.  more

Superintendent Search Is Underway at PPS; Job Description Posted

By Donald Gilpin

The search for a permanent superintendent of the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) was officially launched on Thursday, October 17, with School Leadership LLC consultants advertising the position in numerous outlets, as well as reaching out to target organizations and implementing additional recruitment strategies.

“The consultants have said that they are seeing interest in the position,” the Princeton Board of Education (BOE) reported in a statement Tuesday.

The hiring process, a rolling search with applications submitted online, is expected to continue into the winter with a candidate and contract approved by March. Interim Superintendent Kathie Foster will continue to lead the district through June, with the new superintendent stepping into the position on July 1, 2025.  more

Princeton Future Invites Community to Explore Housing Possibilities

By Donald Gilpin

Seeking to encourage “housing that’s affordable for schoolteachers and other middle-income families,” an assortment of experts and ordinary citizens under the auspices of Princeton Future will gather in the Theron Room of the Princeton Theological Seminary Library at 25 Library Place on Saturday, October 26, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to discuss possibilities.

This particular Princeton Future forum will focus on North Tulane, a small block between Wiggins and Spring streets, and “the question for all of us,” according to Princeton Future cofounder and administrator Sheldon Sturges, is, “What would be the best thing for this community?” more

Internationally Known Choir from South Africa Joins Princeton University Glee Club Concert

CHORAL COLLABORATION: The Ndlovu Youth Choir, familiar to many from its appearances on the television show “America’s Got Talent,” is being hosted by the Princeton University Glee Club on Saturday, October 26 at Richardson Auditorium.

By Anne Levin

Each fall, Princeton University’s Glee Club presents a concert at Richardson Auditorium with the glee clubs of either Harvard or Yale. It was Harvard’s turn this year, but the date — October 26 — conflicted with another event the Cambridge, Mass., club had on its schedule.

Gabriel Crouch, a professor of music at Princeton and the director of the glee club, found out about the conflict last summer. more

Princeton Awarded $245,590 Grant to Expand Food Scraps Collection Program

By Anne Levin

Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Princeton households will be able to recycle food scraps at an expanded number of drop-off sites.

The municipality has been awarded a $245,590 Compost and Food Waste Reduction grant to expand its food scraps recycling program, currently serving 223 residents at two sites, 400 Witherspoon Street and Monument Hall. The town plans to add 10 locations to be determined, which will serve about 1,200 households. The program is free for all Princeton residents.

Princeton Council approved the pilot program for two sites in May 2023. The goal, which aligns with the town’s Climate Action Plan, is to divert food waste from landfills. This helps reduce methane and carbon dioxide emissions, two potent greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. more

Proposal for Expansion of Institute Library to Go in Front of Princeton Planning Board

RESTORATION AND EXPANSION: A rendering of the design by Kimmel Bogrette Archi-tecture + Site for the Historical Studies-Social Science Library at the Institute for Advanced Study. (Illustration courtesy of Kimmel Bogrette)

By Anne Levin

At a special meeting on Thursday evening, October 24, the Princeton Planning Board is scheduled to consider a proposal by the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) to add a second level to its existing main library.

Designed by architecture firm Harrison & Abramovitz and dedicated in 1965, the modernist library was built at the request of former IAS Director J. Robert Oppenheimer. Wallace K. Harrison was known for his work on New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House, Rockefeller Center, and the United Nations building. He also designed Jasna Polana, the estate of J. Seward Johnson and his wife, Barbara Piasecka Johnson, on Route 206. more

Pity, Terror, and Tragedy Within and Without James Joyce’s “Portrait”

By Stuart Mitchner

In the final chapter of James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man (1916), Stephen Dedalus tells two of his fellow students what happened to a girl who got into a hansom cab “a few days ago” in London. “She was on her way to meet her mother whom she had not seen for many years. At the corner of a street the shaft of a lorry shivered the window of the hansom in the shape of a star. A long fine needle of the shivered glass pierced her heart. She died on the instant.”

Reading Portrait my senior year in college, I put a ballpoint asterisk next to the anecdote in the Viking Compass paperback (“copyright renewed in 1944 by Nora Joyce”) and above it scrawled the words “accidental causation,” which were probably cribbed from something the teacher said. Although I underlined Stephen’s prosy remarks on “pity” and “terror,” delivered as he explained why it was not “a tragic death,” all that stayed with me was the girl in the hansom cab and the style Joyce had devoted to the brutal, uncanny happenstance of the event, the “shape of a star” and the “fine needle of shivered glass” he employed to finesse a freak accident. Pity, terror, and “the tragic emotion” were secondary; all it finally came down to was the way Joyce had composed it. more

PSO Presents “Triple Header” of Classical and Neo-Classical Music 

By Nancy Plum

The works performed by Princeton Symphony Orchestra this past weekend may not have all been from the Baroque and Classical periods, but they were all tied in some way to the 18th and early 19th-centuries. The trio of pieces by Michael Abels, Sergei Prokofiev, and Ludwig van Beethoven demonstrated to the audience at Richardson Auditorium how music from these earlier eras has stood the test of time in a concert also showcasing two of the Orchestra’s own members.

Music Director Rossen Milanov and the Orchestra began Saturday night’s performance (the concert was repeated Sunday afternoon) with a compositional new twist on an old favorite. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels has been commended for his “unique ability to blend diverse elements.” In his 1999 More Seasons, the “elements” blended were themes from Antonio Vivaldi’s popular The Four Seasons, with Abels using motives from the “Spring” and “Summer” movements to create what he has called “Vivaldi in a Mixmaster.”  more